A major initiative should be launched to redevelop Killarney’s Fitzgerald Stadium to a level that could see the venue hosting headline open air concerts and major sporting events, a local councillor and hotelier has said.
Cllr Niall O’Callaghan is to ask Killarney Municipal District and Kerry GAA to form an active committee of interested bodies to develop the grounds to modern standards to enable it to compete with the best entertainment and sporting venues in the country.
He said it would cost between €25 million and €40 million to bring the stadium up to the standard required but with the right people at the helm, and a determined effort, it could be achieved.
Cllr O’Callaghan said there were 30 major concerts held in Cork in just over a month with Pairc Uí Chaoimh, The Marquee and a rugby club grounds providing great facilities.
Veteran singer-songwriter Elton John, who attracted a massive crowd to Pairc Uí Chaoimh on Friday night, played in Fitzgerald Stadium 20 years ago but the park is not currently suitable to host big music events.
Cllr O’Callaghan said the Cork GAA stadium is a long walk from the city but Fitzgerald Stadium is just a five-minute stroll from the town centre with 2,500 bednights available within a 10-minute walk.
Picture: Valerie O’Sullivan
He said the redevelopment would require the construction of a new stand, more seating, floodlights, new exterior walls and the provision of indoor conference and hospitality suites under the stand.
He said there are ways that the stadium could be used every day if the right facilities were provided and that could include holding conferences, meetings, classes or event use as a sub-campus for the Munster Technological University if the outside pitch ion the Lewis Road side is included in a redevelopment.
“We must decide now whether we are going to develop Fitzgerald Stadium or do we allow it to go to wreck and ruin completely?
“The GAA in Cork and Limerick and Thurles have all have money ploughed in to their facilities so why not Killarney?” he asked.
“We would need to explore every possible funding avenue,from Europe to sponsorship, to determine what support is out there”.
Cllr O’Callaghan is calling for a high-powered committee, made up of senior GAA officials, key Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce members and other interested parties, to be set up to spearhead the proposed redevelopment at the stadium which currently has a capacity of 38,000.
“If we have the right people knocking at doors then the doors will be open,” said Cllr O’Callaghan who added the support and political influence of former GAA President Seán Kelly and the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad Senator Mark Daly should be sought.
“As it is, Fitzgerald Stadium is very lucky if it gets two or three big games in a year. Imagine what it would mean to Killarney if we had Bruce Springsteen playing there for five nights?“ he said.
In the early 200s Fitzgerald Stadium played host to a number of major open air concerts with artists of the calibre of Snow Patrol, Pink, Elton John, Tom Jones, Westlife and Bryan Adams performing to bumper crowds during the SummerFest celebrations.
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